Power-driven trolley-head.



PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

W. J. SUMNER.

POWER DRIVEN TROLLEY HEAD.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14, 1904.

aflz ornys NITED STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAh I J. SUMNER, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE COBURN TROLLEY TRACK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF WILLI- MANSETT, MASSACHUSETTS, A- CORPORATION.

POWER-DRIVEN TROLLEY-HEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,176, dated June 13, 1905. Application filed November 14,1904. Serial No. 232,675.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM J. SUMNER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Power-Driven Trolley-Heads, 'of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trolleys employed in connection with an overhead track, and has special reference to improved power-driven trolley-heads for use in a track of the character above described, the object thereof being to provide a construction of trolley head adapted to be driven by power from a motor suspended from the trolley-head; and the invention consists in the construction described in the following specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trolley-head to which the invention has been ap plied, the track being shown in longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view on line 3 3, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a indicates a well-known form of tubularoverhead-trolley track supported in hanging brackets 6, this 3 track being of that description in which the lower edge of each half thereof is turned inwardly to form a trough-like track, in which the trolley-head is supported on wheels 0 c, which preferably are arranged, as shown in the drawings, with two pairs of wheels for each head, one pair being indicated by 0 and the other by c.

The construction of each pair of wheels, together with means to support them, being identical, the description of one will suffice. Fig. 2, in connection with Fig. 1, shows clearly the construction of the wheel-support, and, referring particularly to Fig. 2, it is seen that these wheels are secured on opposite ends of an axle (Z, the ends of which are preferably flush with the sides of the wheels. This axle extends through the upper end 0 of an arm 1*, which hangs down through the track-slot f between the contiguous edges of the inturned lower edges of the tracks, this upper end 6 of the arm 0' being rectangular in'cross-section, whereby a good bearing for the inner surfaces of the wheels is provided around the axis thereof. A slot 9 is formed in said upper end 0 of the arm 0 and in the plane of the trackslot f. In said slot 9 is located agear it, which is keyed on the axle (Z. From that point where the arm 0' passes through the track-slot f it is reduced in diameter and it is made round and has its lower end threaded to receivethe nut j and a check-nut below it, which nuts serve to support a yoke 70, which extends from one of the arms 6 to the other, as shown in Fig. l, and through the ends of which said arms a pass. Above this yoke and bearing thereon a tubular member on is fitted over each of the arms a and provided with a broadened upper end 0, to the flat sides of which are bolted two bars 9, one on each side thereof,

as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The arms 6 pass freely through this member at and through the ends of the yoke is, as stated, these latter being chambered out on the under side to receive a suitable ball-bearing q, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in section in Fig. 2.) It is thus seen that each pair of wheels 0 0 may turn on the axis of its arm a more or less to permit each to accommodate itself to the curvature of the track when rounding a curve. The upper ends a of these arms e are united by a cross-bar r, the middle portion of which, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is provided with two ears 0*, which drop downwardly from said cross-bar in the plane of each side thereof to a point below the plane of the axis of the wheels 0 c to provide a support for a short shaft .9, on which is keyed a gear t, which meshes with the gears 7t, mounted on the axis of each pair of wheels.

The bar '1' is secured to the upper ends of the arms a in such manner as to permit the rotation of the latter on their longitudinal axes. As shown in the drawings, the under side of the bar 0* has a recess formed therein to accommodate the upper part of the gear t. Both the axle (Z and the shaft .9 are provided with roller-bearings in their respective supports, the rollers being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and being indicated by for all three of these bearings. These rollers are also shown in the sectional views Figs. 2 and 3.

Between the bars 3) is located the gear w, which meshes with the gear t, and this gear w is mounted on a shaft m, which extends through the two bars p and to which said gear is keyed. This shaft extends some distance beyond the sides of the bars p through bushings y, and on one or both extremities of the shaft a sprocket-wheel 3 is secured in any suitable manner, as by a key. Over the outer ends of the bushings 7 (which are screwthreaded and which extend more or less beyond the outer face of the bars 72) the nuts .4: are screwed, which may be turned up against the sides of the bars to draw the flanged head of the bushing 7 firmly against the other side of the bar to secure this bushing rigidly in the latter, thereby forming suitable bearings for the shaft :11. Sprocket-chains 5 pass over these sprocket-wheels 3 and lead to any suitable motor which is supported on a platform suspended from the trolley-head. Ordinarily there would be provided two trolleyheads, such as shown herein, for each car or motor platform, which would be suspended from these heads by means of chains 6 or bars; but in either case it is preferred that the bars or chains should have a swinging connection with the yoke 7 of the trolleyhead, thereby permitting oscillation of the car or platform in any direction, as it is obvious that a certain freedom of movement of the car or platform will be necessary in passing around a curve should the trolley-heads be moving with any speed. In the drawings it is seen that the chain 6 is supported on the bolt '7, which passes transversely through the yoke It has not been deemed necessary to show in connection with this head any motor, as it would lie within the ability of any mechanic to connect the sprocket-chains 5 with a suitable motor; but preferably an electric motor would be used, and as the trolleys would travel in a fixed path, owing to the fact that they run on a track, it would. be a simple matter and within the province of any electrician to make a suitable connection between an..electric motor and a source of electrical energy whereby the motor might be actuated.

This particular form of traction device is especially adapted to use in many places in mills and factories where it is necessary to make frequent shifts of heavy material, as the track adapts itself to curves of a short radius and may be provided with switches and branches in any direction. Furthermore, it is especially adapted to run out of doors from the fact that the track may be entirely protected from the weather owing to the traction-surface being capable of being boxed in entirely between the hangers. It will be observed from the nature of the construction that as the gear-wheel t acts as an intermediate gear between the gear w and the gears 71 the latter will both rotate in the same direction. It will be observed, further, that this device depends for its power upon the traction effect of the wheels 00 on the tracks a. Therefore it is desirable where two of the trolley-heads (shown in Fig. 1) are used to support a car or platform that each head should be provided with a chain running to a gear on the motorshaft.

In cutting the gears 7t and 2/ provision should be made to permit the gears it to swing on the axis of the arms a with the trolleywheels as the latter pass around the curve without binding in the teeth of the gear 6, and this may be effected by leaving a little play and by rounding the corners of the teeth of the gears h to permit the slight swinging movement above referred to.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination with an overhead-trolley track, of a trolley-head suspended therefrom, a wheel or wheels supported on said head to bear on the track, the wheel-support being rotatable on an axis vertical to the track, and means on the head to effect the retation of said wheel or wheels.

2. The combination with an overhead-trolley track, of a trolley-head suspended therefrom comprising a pair of arms and a pair of wheels, supported in the upper end of each arm to bear on the track, the lower ends of said arms depending below the track, means to connect said arms to permit their rotation on their longitudinal axes, together with driving means supported by the head to positively rotate said wheels.

3. A trolley-head comprising a pair of arms and a pair of wheels supported in the upper end of each arm to bear on a track, the lower ends of said arms depending below the wheels, suitable supports for said arms to permit their rotation on the longitudinal axes, a gear secured to the axis of each pair of wheels, and a driving-gear carried on the head operative] y connected with each pair of wheels to effect the rotation of the latter in the same direction.

at. A trolley head comprising a pair of arms and a pair of wheels supported in the upper end of each arm to bear on a track, the lower ends of said arms depending below the wheels, a gear on the axis of each pair of wheels, an intermediate gear with which said first-named gears engage, and another gear supported on the head to rotate said intermediate gear, and a connecting bar or bars between said arms.

5. The combination with a trolley-track having two track portions with a track-slot between them, of a trolley-head comprising two axles, wheels secured on the latter to bear on said track, an arm provided with a bearing for each of said axles and depending therefrom through said track-slot, a connection between said arms, gears on said axles located in the plane of the track-slot, and a gear operatively connected with said first-named gears to rotate the latter in the same direction.

6. A trolley-head consisting of two axles, wheels secured on the latter, a gear secured to each axle midway between the ends thereof,

an arm provided with a bearing for each axle and depending from the latter, a bar to connect said arms at or near the opposite ends of the latter, and gears supported on said bars and operatively connected with the gears on said axles to rotate the latter in the same direction.

WILLIAM J. SUMNER.

WVitnesses: K. I. CLEMONS,

WM. H. CHAPIN. 

